The Smell of Rain
by ProdigalSnake
Summary: Is all love lies or fate? Ichijou thought she answered that question 10 years ago when she chose her assigned partner over Motoi. But how will her answer change after Nejima reveals Motoi's deepest regret of not marrying her?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 – The Truth**

" _All love is lies."_

' _That's right…that's the truth I picked on that day. Otherwise…what have these past ten years been for?_ ' As Ichijou stepped out of the restaurant, a water droplet rolled down the side of her face. She tilted her face up towards the sky and watched as tiny snowflakes gently landed on her head. ' _Oh…it's snowing._ ' Her heart raced inexplicably as she made her way down the street back to the train station. Her pace began to speed up and as she turned the corner, she sped into a run. ' _It's cold right now, I need to get home quickly._ '

" _What did he say again? He said he didn't want me ending up like him. And that he blew it because he was worried about his future and appearances and lots of stuff…"_

' _Liar!_ '

" _But that ultimately, what matters is your feelings."_

' _Liar!_ '

Going at the pace that she was going, and not looking at what was in front of her, she was bound to run into something. Before she even knew what happened, she was on her back in the snow. The pain momentarily snapping her out of her jumbled thoughts. "I'm so sorry, I didn't look where I was…"

' _Liar…_ '

"Ichijou?" The bleach purple haired man slowly got up and gave her a concerned look. His face never showed much, but the emotions were all there in his eyes. Ichijou shook her head as she tried to get rid of the random thoughts that were surfacing in her mind. "Are you okay? What were you doing running around like that?"

"Haha, sorry about that, still a little clumsy as always," said Ichijou quickly as she put on a fake smile. "I'm about to miss my train so I can't really stop and talk. I'll see you at the office on Monday." The words felt like they were getting stuck in her throat; she was having trouble making any eye-contact and her fake smile felt like it was about to collapse any second now.

"Hey, slow down, you're…" As she was about to walk away, a sharp pain shot up her foot and made her stumble forward. "Hurt." Just as she was about to fall, Motoi reached out and caught her in his arms. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again. There was a moment of silence between them as Ichijou stayed still.

Finally, Ichijou broke the silence and pushed away from Motoi, the force was a little bit more than she intended and it sent him stumbling back a few steps. "I'm fine, just a little tired from all that running. I'll be fine after I rest a little, you don't have to wait or anything." She didn't hear an answer from Motoi but she knew, even without looking, that he was giving her an unconvinced stare.

' _Please…just leave me…I can't…not right now…_ '

Motoi sighed deeply, "You probably don't know this but…every time you lie, you look off to the side." She didn't know how to respond to that, she tried to think up of excuses but nothing came to her mind. The only thing that was on her mind was the revelation that Nejima dropped on her. The only thing that she could think of was the man in front of her. And the only thing she wanted to do…

Suddenly, Motoi slung her arm around him and supported her body with his shoulders. "I'm carrying you to the hospital."

"N-No, you don't need to do that."

"Shut up."

"W-What?"

"You're clearly not in your right mind, maybe you even hit your head and got a concussion. Even if nothing else, you still have a sprained ankle that needs medical attention."

"This is abduction! Kidnapping!"

"Tell the manager then," said Motoi as he turned at her and smiled. "Maybe I'll get my pay docked."

" _Let's tell the school board."_

" _What? Will it get us less homework?"_

" _Her pay'll get docked."_

" _Ahaha! What?! You're so gloomy, Motoi!"_

"That's so gloomy, Motoi…" whispered Ichijou.

"You remember…"

"I remember everything." Her statement was like a hot knife that was plunged straight into his heart. A torrent of emotions that wrenched it but at the same time made it race. What did she mean by that? Did it mean anything at all?

Instead of brooding over it, Motoi decided to do what he regretted he never did, and that was to do what he felt was right. Not what he thought he should do, not what society would want him to do, but what he wanted to do. "Are you happy?"

The question stunned Ichijou and made her eyes grow wide. She turned her head and saw an expression that she had never seen before. A serious yet mellow expression that had eyes that burned brightly compared to his calm demeanor. "My husband and I are going to try for a child."

She didn't know where the question came from, nor did she know why she answered it that way. At the back of her mind, she thought that it was a very cruel thing to say yet it was probably the right thing to say. "That's not what I asked."

A nervous laugh came out of her, she wasn't expecting that response at all. "What are you talking about? Of course I'm happy, otherwise, why would I be doing it with him?"

"You weren't happy the first time we did it."

Once again Ichijou found herself at a loss for words; she suddenly felt tears pricking at her eyes and anger bubbled up inside of her. "What do you want me to say? That I'm utterly miserable with my assigned partner and that I want to be with you? Well, guess what, I'm perfectly happy right now and we're going to have a yukari kid and she's going to be happy and she'll marry her assigned partner and they'll be happy!" Her voice trembled as she tried to catch her breath, "By what right do you have in asking if I'm happy?! Worry about yourself first!"

Motoi remained silent as he lowered his head and hid his eyes behind his bangs. "We're here," he said quietly as he carefully separated himself from her and took a step back. "I'm sorry for asking." With that said, he turned and walked back the way they came from, leaving Ichijou alone in front of the hospital. She could not help but stare at his back as his figure became smaller and smaller.

Then, all of a sudden, all of the emotions that she had been suppressing spilled out at the same time. The anger flushed out of her system all at once and what replaced it was a mixture of sadness and loneliness. Tears fell out none stop and her whole body felt like it was going to break under all these emotions. She began recalling the last time she felt this way; the night of her 16th birthday, the day she broke up with Motoi and chose her assigned partner over him.

" _I…love you, Motoi. If you marry me…I'll refuse the notice."_

' _If you had said yes…would I be happy right now?_ '


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Married Life**

After getting firmly turned down by Ichijou, his mood plummeted to rock bottom and for the few moments that followed his rejection, he felt nothing but numbness. It was only once he saw his own house that he realized that those 'few moments' were hours spent walking in the snow and that his emotional numbness had extended to physical numbness as he couldn't feel his fingers anymore.

The first thing he did after dragging himself through the door was to go to the washroom and wash his tear-stained face. ' _I'm so lame,_ ' he thought as he looked at his miserable reflection. But suddenly, to his surprise, a familiar female voice called out to him. "Motoi?"

He quickly turned around and was absolutely bewildered by who he saw, ' _What is she doing here?_ '

"What happened to you?" asked the woman with short black hair as she walked into the bathroom and held his cold hands between hers. "How long did you spend outside for your hands to be like this?"

"Hana…" said Motoi carefully, still unsure as to why his wife, a woman he hasn't called in two years, was back home.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost? Is it that strange to see me, 'husband'" The last part was purposely emphasized sarcastically as they both knew their marriage was held up by nothing but a feeling of responsibility. Despite having no love for each other, the two still got married because they were assigned to through the government notice.

Motoi chuckled, almost masochistically, to himself. How ironic for life to have her suddenly show up again? He fired back equally as sarcastic, "I'm just surprised you finally came back from your work trip, 'my dear wife'. I was beginning to think you didn't miss my companionship." His words were not laced with bitterness, instead, it was meant more as a taunt. He knew very well that she didn't go on a 'business trip,' but rather was having an affair. From what he had been able to deduce, the man also seemed to be married.

When he learned that his wife was cheating on him, he wasn't angry but simply…relieved. Although he was incapable of moving on, that didn't mean his wife deserved to suffer in the marriage with him. Objectively speaking, his wife was a beautiful woman, it wouldn't do for such a fair flower to wither away unloved and unnoticed. He was happy that she found someone she could be happy with without having to feel the guilt of cheating. In return, they both get to keep their social status as people who followed the government notice and more importantly, he gets to keep his job working for the government.

"Would you like me to cook up something? I didn't really prepare enough dinner for you since I thought you were out with your coworkers."

Motoi simply turned and walked to the bedroom, "Don't worry about it, I'm not hungry. As for the sleeping arrangements, you can have the bed for however long you're staying. I'll grab some quilt and take the couch." When he returned to the living room with his sheets and pillow, he found Hana in the kitchen making porridge. "I told you I wasn't hungry."

"I don't care what you told me, you're going to eat. You come back home as if you were a homeless beaten puppy in late December and start acting all tough. I don't know if this is a regular thing for you but I can't have you dying on me."

"Serve yourself," said Motoi as he set up his temporary bed on the couch and sat back down at the dinner table. He watched quietly as Hana prepared his porridge, filled with nutritious vegetables and protein. He scoffed lightly, "Wouldn't it be easier for you if I died? You wouldn't have to pretend to be a loving wife that comes back to her husband every blue moon. Maybe you can even marry whoever you are seeing right now."

"A man who has a loving wife wouldn't die of malnutrition. My market value would go down if you did," said Hana as she set the food on the table and sat down. "Thanks for the food."

"Thanks for the food." Motoi put his hands together and looked briefly out of one eye to examine his wife. ' _A loving wife wouldn't be talking about her market value when her husband is showing signs of suicide._ ' He sighed deeply and took a bit of the food. ' _But I can't complain about her cooking though._ '

"How is it?" she asked, knowing full well the answer.

"It's delicious."

"How's work lately?"

"The usual."

Time passed by as the two ate in silence; their conversations never lasted long, even in their dating phase. She was always a little timid in front of strangers and it didn't help that he was not at all invested or making any kind of effort in the relationship. "Are you still hung up over that high school sweetheart of yours?" she asked suddenly.

He paused his eating as the wave of sadness hit him again and couldn't help but smile in melancholy. "I actually just got rejected today." His wife paused as well and looked up at him. "You must be glad. All these years of me being hung up over another woman, only to have me fail spectacularly in the end."

"If you think I have any kind of hatred for you for our marriage, you're wrong. In fact, you were quite the gentleman when you confronted me about my affair. At that time, I thought it would be nice if it worked out for you as well."

Motoi couldn't help but laugh at their weird relationship. "Did our relationship ever have a chance of blossoming into anything remotely romantic?"

Hana paused for a second before answering, "I once loved you."

Her words put the whole room on mute. Motoi stopped laughing and stared at her, ' _Did I mishear?_ '

"It's true," she continued. "I was quite worried when I got my government notice, but the first time I met you my heart nearly skipped a beat. You were everything I hoped you to be; smart, good-looking…I even thought you were cool. Your calm confident demeanor made me feel at ease because I was the total opposite, shy and timid."

She paused as she looked him straight in the eye, "You crushed that all on the first night we had together. That moment when you froze up, I realized that your cool calm demeanor was nothing but an indifference towards me. At first, I thought there was something wrong with me, I was quite depressed then. By the time you told me why, I had already become indifferent toward you."

"I…I-I'm…" Motoi was speechless. He always knew what to say but what could he possibly say now to remedy this in any way? He had completely broken this woman's heart and he never even realized it. He had always just assumed that Hana didn't really want to be with him but forced herself along due to social pressures. He would never have guessed that in the beginning, her feelings were true and genuine.

"Don't apologize. I'm past that now…we're past that now," said Hana as she got up and turned for the bedroom. "Goodnight."

Before she stepped in, Motoi quickly got up and asked the only thing that came to mind. "Are you happy now?"

She turned and smiled, "Yes, I'm happy now."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Sorry I'm Late**

 _Ichijou looked out the window of the infirmary as she laid on the bed. Her ankle was throbbing in pain but what hurt more was the fact that someone purposely did this to her. Ever since she started middle school, the girls in her class have been getting more and more malicious towards her. '_ What did I ever do to you? _' she thought as she tried to hold back the tears. Things were going poorly at home and now they were going poorly at school as well._

 _Suddenly, she heard a knock on the window. At first, she thought it was the wind, after all, the infirmary at the school was located on the third floor. What could it possibly be if it wasn't the wind? But then, she heard another knock and a whisper, "Ichijou…open…the window!"_

 _Wait…that's Motoi's voice! She quickly got off the bed and hopped on one foot to the window and unhooked the lock. What she saw made her jaw drop, Motoi was hanging on the small window ledge, his feet dangling 30 feet above the ground. As soon as the window was opened, she used all of her energy to drag him up. "What the hell are you doing?!"_

" _Sorry for being late, the teachers didn't let me come visit you because they said it wasn't that serious. Can you believe they didn't even punish the girl that stepped on your ankle?!"_

" _That doesn't matter right now, why were you hanging from the window ledge like that, you could have died!"_

" _Well, the third floor is where all the offices are. There are teachers constantly walking around in the hall, I would have been found. But listen to this, you know how Maru always starts fidgeting whenever he needs to go to the bathroom really badly?"_

" _Yeah, but he's always too scared to put his hand up in class. He even peed himself once because of that."_

" _Exactly, I noticed that so I tossed him a note saying I would put my hand up and be his washroom buddy if he would do me a favor."_

" _Blackmail, I see."_

" _I needed someone to push me up, I'm not tall enough to reach the window ledge from the second floor."_

" _Where is he now?"_

" _I think he's waiting in one of the washroom stalls, after all, he can't go back to class without me."_

 _The two of them burst into laughter as they pictured the poor boy waiting anxiously for his washroom buddy to come get him. "You're terrible, how can you put Maru through that?!"_

" _If I'm terrible, what are you for laughing so hard at this?"_

 _However, they both stopped laughing when they heard footsteps making its way down the hall toward the room. "Oh shit, I'm screwed if they find me here," said Motoi as he made his way toward the window again. But before he could attempt another suicide mission, Ichijou pulled him back._

 _When the teacher came into the room, he found Ichijou quietly lying in bed. "What was all that noise I heard?"_

" _I think it might have been the wind, the nurse forgot to close the window," said Ichijou._

" _Ah, I see. I'll close it then."_

 _Once the teacher left, Motoi quickly surfaced from beneath the sheets and took a deep breath. "You almost suffocated me!"_

" _If I didn't hug you close it would have been obvious!"_

" _True…thanks for the save. And, uh, get better soon," said Motoi with a rosy tint on his cheeks. As he tried to get out of the bed Ichijou held onto him tighter and dragged him back under the sheets._

" _What about Maru?"_

" _Maru can wait."_

"Sorry for being late, I was a bit swamped at the office but I heard it wasn't too serious. Are you okay?" asked her husband, Shu, as he quickly walked up to her. He was five years older than her, had short brown hair and a serious look befitting that of a lawyer. He was always very upfront about everything, the complete opposite of someone she knows. That helped a lot when they started dating. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like if her assigned partner reminded her of Motoi.

"Don't worry, it was my fault for being careless," said Ichijou as she gave a warm smile to her husband.

"C'mon, let's get you in the car," said Shu as he slung her arm over him and supported her body with his shoulders. His fresh cologne scent was a nice breath of fresh air compared to the sterilized scent of the hospital. His muscular build and wide shoulder gave her a sense of dependability.

' _That's why I love him because he's dependable. Because he would never let me down or leave me hanging. Because he's not like you, Motoi._ '

Their car was nice, prestigious but not flashy. Her husband didn't like flashy things, he always talked about how those things were liabilities rather than assets. Even though he was like that, he still bought her such a flashy diamond for her engagement ring. "Are you still okay for tonight's dinner?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" she asked in a daze.

"The dinner that I told you about a week back. Some of my colleagues are coming over tonight with their kids," he said as he kept his eyes on the road. "Don't worry, you don't have to cook when you have an injured ankle. We'll just order some takeout."

"Yeah, sure. No problem," she said as she turned her head back to the passenger window and watched as the world whirled by her.

After a few minutes of silence, Shu asked in a worried tone, "About your checkup today, did something go wrong?"

"Just a little tired," said Ichijou as she turned her head back to look at her husband. "Don't worry, I'm perfectly healthy." She reached out and gently touched his arm. "Soon we can have our first baby."

He didn't respond, he didn't even look back at her. He always got like that whenever they talked about having a kid. He would become unresponsive and distant. At first, he avoided the topic by saying they should focus on their careers and stabilize financially before having a kid together. But now, it was at a point in their lives where it was the social norm to have one. Even more so for the fact that they've already been married for over five years.

Due to his job as a lawyer, he often comes home late and would be too tired for anything in the bedroom but sleep. He would often eat dinner at the office as well so their time together didn't amount to much over the weekdays, and over the weekend he often wanted some alone time to relax. That's something that never makes it into the calculations, whether or not couples matched personality-wise.

She had always been very extroverted, but thinking back now…wasn't Motoi also introverted? They got along just fine, why can't it be the same with Shu? Ever since their wedding night, they haven't gotten a chance to try for a baby again. She didn't understand why. As well as she could remember, the night was pretty good. When Motoi and her were dating, they did it quite often. But then again, that might have been their teenage hormones driving them. ' _Stop comparing or you'll end up like him as well. The fish that got away always looks bigger._ '

After they got home, Ichijou cleaned up and got a new change of clothes while Shu called to order the food. As she changed from her casual clothes to a dress, her keys fell out of her pocket. The little bear that was attached to the keychain fell face-up onto the floor and looked back at her.

" _T-Today's your birthday, right? I just happened to see this, so I figured I might as well get it for you…"_

' _Why do I still have this?_ ' she thought as she picked up the keychain. ' _It doesn't even fit well inside my pocket. Something that he probably spent less than a minute getting for me._ ' She unhooked her house key from the keychain and got ready to throw it into the trash can. But then, something stopped her. The little bear stared at her with its cute inanimate eyes, its fur full of stains that would never wash off. How many times had she tried to throw this thing away? ' _Why can't I…?_ '

"Ichijou! The guests are here!" her husband called out.

She looked back at the keychain and decided to simply leave it there, ' _I don't need to throw it out. I'll just not use it._ '

A few families made their way in with a few kids running past her in the hallway. "Ichijou, I don't think you've met the new guy yet. This is Takeshi and his wife, Rin, he recently joined the firm after graduating from university."

"Nice to meet you," said the young couple as they bowed to slightly.

"Likewise," said Ichijou as she returned the gesture.

"Come on in, I'm sure you guys are hungry by now," said Shu as he ushered the young man inside.

"Famished," said Takeshi jokingly as he walked ahead.

"Ichijou-san, I heard you work for the government as someone who supervises yukari couples," said Rin as she took off her shoes. Her long eye-catching blue hair briefly touched the floor.

" _Why do you keep your hair short?"_

" _Easier to clean. Why? Do you want me to grow it out?"_

" _Nah, you look good with short hair."_

" _Aww, aren't you a sweetie-pie!" she said as she pinched his cheeks._

" _Why do you always have to make fun of me when I compliment you…?"_

"Ichijou-san?"

"Ah yes, I recently got assigned to a few new couples who just received their government notice," said Ichijou as she tried to smile courteously.

"Any troublemakers?" Rin asked jokingly.

"Haha, yeah I've got some but I haven't failed yet in my three years working there and I don't plan to fail now."

Rin laughed as well, "Yeah I remember when I got my notice, I was so nervous. Thank goodness Takeshi was such a good man, we hit it off right from the beginning! I always appreciated what you guys do for society, so thank you for your hard work."

"No need to thank me, I didn't come up with the idea."

"Well, in a couple of years, I actually may need to thank you," said Rin as she touched her stomach, a rosy tint colored her cheeks. The look of pure love Rin gave to her husband made Ichijou feel a little uneasy. How long has it been since she has seen a look like that?

"When that time comes, I'll make sure to take care of her."

"Oh no, we don't know what gender it is yet."

"Oh right, sorry."

"You're having a kid, Takeshi? Congratulations!" said Shu as he overheard their conversation. The rest of the guests joined in on congratulating him as they all sat down around the dinner table. Over the course of dinner, Ichijou couldn't help but stare at the young couple across from her. The way they whispered in each other's ears whilst stifling their giggle made her realize that her uneasiness was…jealousy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Two Sides of the Same Coin**

' _All love is lies._ ' She repeated it to herself as she forced herself to stop looking at the couple. ' _That kind of feeling will eventually fade away.'_

She shifted her gaze towards two of the kids, a boy and a girl in their elementary school years, that sat next to each other. "Hey, check this out!" said the boy as he took his milk and mixed it with her orange juice.

"Eww, Hinata! I'm not going to drink that!" said the girl as she tried to push the drink away.

"It's super good, trust me. Watch!" said Hinata as he took a gulp of the mixture and briefly cringed at the disgusting taste. "Y-yeah it's super good."

"Hahaha, liar! Your face gives it away," said the girl as she giggled joyously.

" _Orange juice and calpico?!" asked Ichijou as she stood next to Motoi at the drink bar._

" _Yeah it's good, wanna try some?" said Motoi as he offered his drink._

" _Eww, no! What the heck! Hahaha, you're weird!"_

" _W-What?" A slight blush of embarrassment made its way onto his face. He took a sip first and offered again. "Trust me, it's good. Try it!"_

" _No, get away from me! Hahaha!" She began to run away from him as she continued to laugh._

" _Try it!" yelled Motoi as he chased her around the restaurant._

' _We got kicked out right after if I remember right,_ ' thought Ichijou as the memory reel ended. It used to be an inside joke of theirs. Something that made them laugh uncontrollably whenever someone mentioned mixing drinks. Now it was just a memory that surfaced time to time, not bringing the same sweet laughs it used to.

"Ichijou, are you okay?" asked Rin as she looked over. "You're not eating."

"Oh, I'm not that hungry."

"Quiet down a bit, will you?" said the little girl's mother as she gave her a stern look.

"I'll take care of the kids," said Ichijou as she got up from the table. "Let's go play in the basement, how does that sound?"

"Great!"

As she was leaving the living room, she saw out of the corner of her eye, Takeshi pointing at the weird mixture of orange juice and milk and saying something to Rin which made her laugh. Rin then picked up the drink and took a sip of it, immediately regretting her decision. They both laughed for a moment, looked at each other and shared a quick kiss. ' _That kiss must have tasted awful,_ ' she thought as she suddenly felt the taste of orange juice and calpico on her tongue.

"Why are you sad, miss?"

"W-What?" stammered Ichijou as she looked down at the girl by her side.

"Emi!" yelled Hinata as he dragged her away. "Sorry, she's a little too upfront about some things."

"Oh no," Ichijou laughed, "I'm not sad, sweetie. I'm happy!"

"You didn't look happy during dinner."

"N-No I am! Adults usually don't show their happiness the way you kids do. We may not show it but we're happy on the inside."

"Really? But the uncle and auntie that were sitting next to us seemed to be showing it that way."

"P-People are different!"

"I see. Well, when I grow up I want to have a marriage that looks like theirs!"

Ichijou breathed out a sigh of relief as her interrogation ended…or did it? "Miss, I heard you work at the government and you set up marriages and stuff. Can you set us up to be married?"

"Uh that's not how it works," said Ichijou as she sat down on the floor. "I'm not the one choosing who and who gets married. It's based on a complex calculation that ensures the best possible genetic combinations so that healthy, smart and strong kids like you are born."

The explanation seemed to have confused them, as expected. But it also seemed to have drained the energy out of them. "So…we don't get to choose? Why would I want someone else to choose who I get to marry?"

"Because your assigned partner will be the best possible partner for you! Look at Takeshi and Rin, they're a yukari couple and you want a marriage like theirs right?"

"Yeah…I guess. But…my parents are yukari couples and they're not happy."

"Emi…"

"It's true, they don't even talk to each other at home. Dad comes back home late from work and mom is always out. At first, they fought but at least that meant they were trying, right? Now the house is just always quiet."

The girl curled up and hugged her knees as she sobbed while the boy, who seemed so immature at the dinner table, tried his best to comfort her with a hug. "It's okay, they'll work it out."

"No, they won't…I wish they didn't get married. They clearly don't love each other."

" _I wish I could've been a yukari kid. I swear I'll marry my government arranged partner. I don't want to make a kid feel like this."_

' _N-No…it's the parent's fault…they are probably like Motoi and are hung up over something stupid that happened in the past. I-It's not the system's fault, they were matched with their best possible partner!_ ' Ichijou tried to think of something to say to comfort the girl but nothing came to mind.

"I'm never going to marry my assigned partner."

' _I should say something. I'm the adult here, I need to say something._ '

"Don't say that Emi! Like Miss Ichijou said, I'm sure he'll be the perfect match for you," said Hinata. "And if he isn't, then I'll marry you!"

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, I promise!"

' _What a naïve little boy, what can you possibly promise at that age?_ ' thought Ichijou as she watched Rin cheer up a bit. She wanted to tell them that their promise was meaningless; that they should focus on getting along with their assigned partner when they get their notice if they wanted to be happy. But somewhere deep inside of her, she knew what Hinata said was something she wanted to hear. What a selfish request it was? To ask the person to stand there waiting while you made up your mind. And what a fool to be? To stand there watching, as your love leaves you for someone else.

The rest of the night went by uneventfully and soon enough it was time for the families to go back home. As Hinata was putting on his shoes, Ichijou went and patted him on his head, "You're a good kid, Hinata. Be a man and take good care of Rin, okay?"

"For sure!"

"You seemed to have had a good time playing with them," said Shu.

"Yeah…you can learn some crazy things from little kids."

"By the way Ichijou…about having kids…I…"

"I understand…you don't want to have kids with me."

"That's-"

"That's okay," said Ichijou as she interrupted him. "It turns out…I wasn't quite ready myself either." She didn't turn around to face him and Shu found it hard to find anything to say back to her. "I guess even a great lawyer such as yourself doesn't always know what to say. Goodnight, my dear husband." As she went to bed, Emi's statement echoed in her head.

" _I wish they didn't get married. They clearly don't love each other."_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Kagetsu Shu**

The 'Kagetsu' name. My father called it, "A name that has lived for a thousand years and will live for a thousand more." For almost my entire life, I've lived to honor that family name. I dressed the way I did, spoke the way I did, acted the way I did, thought the way I did…lived the way I did, all for the family name.

When I was young, I wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up. On the rare days I didn't have lessons, my mother would take me to the aquarium. We would spend as much time as we could watching all the different kinds of fishes swim from one side of the tank to the other. The diversity of it all was what intrigued me. Millions of years ago, they chose different paths in their evolution and it has manifested itself into the amazing organisms they are now. My mom always encouraged me to pursue this dream, in fact, she was the only one in the house that encouraged me to pursue the things I wanted.

It didn't turn out that way though.

Somewhere deep down I always knew my father would shut it down the moment I told him about it. _"I will not have you dirty the family name by playing with fishes all day long! You will be a lawyer, a doctor or a businessman!"_ Becoming a doctor would have been logical but at the time I chose to go down the path to become a lawyer because I wanted to get justice for those who couldn't get it for themselves. I put in my all to become a prosecutor; although my life wasn't perfect, there were plenty of people out there who were going through much tougher times and I wanted to be the one to help them. That was going to be the way I honored our family name. I felt like I was beginning to sound and think like father.

In my generation, the yukari thing was still in its early stages and didn't have many adopters just yet. Personally, I thought it was absolutely ridiculous, you can't just take something like love out of the equation. My family has had a couple of arranged marriages up the line but we have mostly been allowed to choose our spouse. It was one of the few privileges we had and I wasn't about to let the government assign me someone.

Unfortunately for me, it didn't turn out that way either.

I was in the middle of my studies at university when I got my notice. At first, I thought it was a mistake, after all, I never applied for the yukari program. I called home and was informed that "the Kagetsu family will conform with the government on this." I went home immediately and perhaps for the first time in my life, I had an argument with my father.

" _This is bullshit, you've picked everything for me my entire life!" I said as I slammed the notice on the table in front of my father. "I'm not going to put up with it anymore!"_

" _Y-You dare talk back like this?! You ungrateful brat, you have no right to your name!"_

" _Please my dear, Shu, let's talk this out! There's no need for violence!" said my mom as she tried to break up the argument._

" _Disown me then, see if I care!"_

" _Shu…please…stop…"_

 _Her voice got quieter and quieter until finally me and my dad, who were shouting at each other, noticed that she had collapsed. "Mom! Call an ambulance! Mom!"_

My mother's health had never been good but I would never have imagined that it would get this bad before I even finished university. At that time, I thought to myself that I should have chosen to be a doctor. If I had studied medicine, perhaps I would have caught on to a symptom. Her shortness of breath, low energy levels, anything. I chose to meet up with my assigned partner a couple of weeks after she was hospitalized. My father would have never budged and I didn't want to keep arguing when her health was like that.

Ichijou was a nice, beautiful and outgoing girl, a girl most men would probably be ecstatic over. But both of us could tell that our personality, interest, and values didn't match at all. She seemed to have been trying her best to keep the conversation going so I tried my best to respond in kind although my mind wasn't present at all. I felt a little guilty for responding with such limited enthusiasm but quite honestly her stories and references were flying over my head. Perhaps it was due to the fact that my years back in high school were not all that colorful. There were also multiple times when she started a story but would immediately change to another halfway through as if she realized it was something she shouldn't say…or didn't want to say.

I planned to tell her that I wasn't interested at the end of the first date but a phone call from the hospital put an early end to it. Before we went our separate ways, she leaned in and we shared our first kiss. She was the one who initiated it but at the same time, she seemed to be the one that was more hesitant. _"It was nice meeting you Shu, I hope we can get along."_ I'm ashamed to admit it but I wasn't brave enough to turn her down then after she put in so much effort.

When I arrived at the hospital, the nurses and doctors all looked defeated. _"Why are you all just standing here?"_

" _I'm sorry to tell you this but…your mother is about to pass away. She wanted to speak to you one last time."_

" _Don't screw with me!"_

" _That's enough!" yelled my dad._

" _You're one of the richest people in Japan and you can't do something to save your wife?! Is the head of the Kagetsu family so powerless?!"_

" _Silence, Kagetsu Shu!" The tension had everyone on a silent knife's edge. "Go. Your mother wishes to see you."_

 _I clenched my teeth and rushed into the hospital room. I felt like breaking down and crying when I saw her. There was a breathing mask over her mouth and an IV attached to her arm. This wasn't her. This wasn't my mom who was always the bright light in my life._

" _Shu…" she called out to me weakly._

" _I'm here mom. I'm here," I said as I rushed to her side and held onto her hand._

" _How…was the girl? Did you…like her?"_

" _Yes, mom, she was wonderful! and we got along so well!" I said with a smile on my face. "I'll introduce her to you next time and we can all go to that aquarium you used to take me to."_

" _Ah, yes…you used to be so happy there…."_

 _Behind me, I could hear the machine that tracked her heartbeat begin to slow down and finally I shed my first tear. "Stay with me, mom. Stay with me, please."_

" _Shu…marry…the girl…th…"_

" _W-What's that? Mom? Mom?!" Just like that, the one person in the world that I felt was on my side…was gone._

 _When I finally walked out of the room, my father just stood there with his back against the wall. "So, she's gone." Quite the pose and one-liner. It made me want to go up to him and bash his head in. But I didn't, mom would have never wanted me to do that._

 _Instead, I just ignored him, "I met up with my assigned partner today. We're not a good match."_

 _My father responded without looking back at me. "Do as you like."_

That was the last time we spoke in 10 years. I decided to continue dating Ichijou and eventually married her due to my mother's last words. I sent an invitation to my father for the wedding but he never responded nor did he show up. Never bothered me about having a kid either.

Ichijou and I's relationship never got much better. She continued to put on the act of being in love with me to the point where I think even she started believing it. But with my years as a prosecutor, I could tell when someone is lying, even if it is to themselves. Blame me if you want but it's hard to build a relationship with someone you know doesn't actually like you. I honestly don't know how to live with someone like that. Work is busy so most weekdays I put in late hours and don't even come back for dinner. On the weekends, we would spend some time together going on dates and talk about shallow and meaningless things.

When things got to be too much, I would ask for some private time and I would go visit the aquarium by myself. I would think to myself if that was the kind of life my mom would have wished for me. I even thought about divorce, but with Ichijou having a government job, it would be detrimental to her career. With all that she puts up with, I thought I should at least be willing to tough it out as well. Plus, she was at least actively trying to improve our relationship and perhaps that was the best I could hope for. Something like love may be one in a million but a wife that continues trying even without love might be just as good. Maybe having a kid really will bring us closer together.

All of those thoughts disappeared when I laid my eyes on her.

The shining rays of lights that were filtered through the water highlighted her black locks. It was as if an angel appeared in front of me and it took my very breath away. From a few feet away I could hear the faint sound of her sniffling and I slowly walked up. "Excuse miss, are you okay?" The moment she turned, our eyes locked and my heart dropped.

I knew…I was in love.

* * *

 **Inevi: Whoa…people read this? XD Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – Gone**

I hate the rain. Nothing good ever happens when it rains. It has always been like this and today's not any different. I thought that things were starting to look up, but I was wrong. I should have known that this was coming, but I chose to ignore it.

I ran as fast as I could through the downpour, the water drenched my clothe and made it cling heavily down onto my skin. The cold wind blew against me and I felt chills run through my body. Drops of liquid rolled down my cheeks and I couldn't even tell if it was the rain or my tears. I've just started running yet my breathing was already irregular. It becomes harder and harder to breathe, I start getting light-headed, but I can't stop.

This was the end, and it couldn't have ended any other way.

I feel like I've been running forever. My body finally forces me to stop. My heart was beating harder than it ever has and I felt like throwing up. I pause in the middle of the road to rest for a bit. I hear quick footsteps behind me, the sound of shoes pushing off against the wet ground. I turn around to see who it is and I feel a pair of warm arms wrapped around me.

"Refuse the notice. Stay with me, we'll figure it out."

His voice is shaky. He's breathing hard too. I want to hug him back but as I looked over his shoulder, I see my high school-self standing there under an umbrella. Her eyes were empty yet so full of pain at the same time. I recognize that look, it's the look I had when my parents fought night in and night out.

I push him away. "It's too late now." The world splits between us; the rain stops on my side, I'm completely dry now. My other self turns back and begins to walk away.

He looks devastated but understanding at the same time. "I see," he says and turns back the other way. As he walks away, he begins to turn back to his high school self. That same old one-strapped bag slung over his right shoulder. He runs up behind my other self and ducks under her umbrella. "I forgot my umbrella so let me under," he says, yet inside the side pocket of his bag sat a folded umbrella.

I can't stand to look anymore. I turn back and continue going where I was going. Where was I going again? The rain was gone now, the cold wind and uncomfortable wetness along with it. The sound of the droplets hitting the ground now filled with empty silences. Who knew this side of the world was so lonely?

I opened my eyes slowly and the first thing I saw was the little bear keychain staring back at me. I get up from the bed and notice that my pillow had little wet marks. I quickly rubbed my eyes and went to the washroom to wash my face. "What a nightmare…"

I went into the kitchen to prepare some breakfast. I wish that nightmare hadn't woken me up. I had planned to sleep in more over this Christmas break from work. The first thing I noticed was the note on the kitchen table, 'I've left some breakfast inside the fridge. I'm meeting up with a friend today and will be back late. You can eat without me.'

I guess he wants some alone time after our fight last night, if you can even call it that. Suddenly, I become aware of how quiet it was in the house. I start humming some tunes in order to distract myself. 'It's just a nightmare,' I tell myself. I turn on the TV and get the kettle going to boil some water. I sit down in front of the TV and sip on the coffee while enjoying my omelet.

"…the new virtual reality MMORPG, Swor…the sudden heart attack of the suspect saves the scho…Romeo, Romeo, where art thou Rom…today's forecast has a 90% chance of snowing-"

No matter how much sound I create, all I could think of was that silent world in my dream. I felt tears begin to well up and I wrapped my arms around myself. "It's just a nightmare…It's just a nightmare…"

* * *

Every so often, for the past ten years, I would dream about that rainy day. In my dream, I would always say something heroic or romantic. I would sweep her off her feet and act like the man I wish I had been. My subconscious must have shown me a thousand different ways I could have dealt with the problem by now, almost as if mocking me. 'You could have done this,' or 'you could have said that.' Getting up after a dream like that is always the hardest part of my day. Before these, I never knew that regret could have a weight to it.

When I got up, Hana had already left the house. She left a note along with some breakfast on the table saying that she wouldn't be back until late tonight. Last night's revelation was quite intense but in the end, if she's happy then it should be fine. In fact, it began to make me think, now that I've been rejected, perhaps it is time I moved on as well. If Hana was able to find a second love, then shouldn't I try my best to do so as well?

I sigh to myself. That would never work with the way I am now, still holding so tightly onto a moment that happened 10 years ago. A moment that I can't go back and change. Then an idea surfaced in my mind. Despite it being absolutely crazy, it might be the one thing that can save me. I quickly finished up my breakfast and put on a jacket. I'm going to need to confront that moment in my past if I ever want to be happy again.

* * *

I decided it was best to get out of the house and get some fresh air. The rhythmic crunch in my step and the dancing snowflakes cleared my head a little. Somehow through my aimless wondering, I end up back here in front of his old house. Looking back on it now, what I asked of him was such a selfish request. A request he had no business granting at that time in our lives. Had I been a little more cool-headed, perhaps we could have…

Suddenly, I heard a few footsteps closing in on me. Instinctively, I ducked behind a wall to hide myself thinking the owner of the house got worried that a strange woman was standing outside their door. The sound of the crunching snow crunching came to a stop not even five feet away from me. I held my breath, maybe I was already spotted and the person is waiting for me to reveal myself.

All of my worries shattered when I heard the person's voice, "Hey…use an umbrella at least." I didn't know what to say or do. I simply continued to stand still, wondering if I was hallucinating or not. "Today's your birthday, right? I just happened to see this, so I figured I might as well get it for you…"

What is he talking about? Then it hit me, the reason why he was here. I peeked around the corner to see that he was standing there alone and quietly whispering the lines. 'Thank you,' my response echoed inside of my head. The memory of that night began rushing back into my head, yet the setting is all wrong. It feels like I'm watching it through the lens of another person.

"…What's wrong?"

'I just got…my government notice.' Save me. 'He's five years older than me…and in university. What should I do?' What could I have done?

"What should you…you're serious?"

'I…' Love you, Motoi. 'If you marry me...I'll refuse the notice.' Now say it, say those words that broke us apart. I was being unreasonable, unfair, but why couldn't you have at least lied?!

"I love you too." I had to cover my mouth with both of my hands as I desperately tried to hold back the sound of my crying. Streaks of tears rolled down my cheeks again and again. He would have heard me for sure, had he not been crying as well. Behind the wall, I could hear his final heartfelt words, "Will you marry me?" I'm sorry, Motoi. I'm sorry. You're too late.

"God…if this love is real, please show me a sign of fate…Show me it wasn't all just a lie…" At that moment, every fiber of my being wanted to come out and run into his arms. But a barrage of self-doubt assaulted me with questions that I had no answers for. You are a married woman, are you going to begin an affair? You work with the government, doing something like this is career suicide. Didn't you promise yourself you would have a yukari child? It felt like an eternity but suddenly I felt like I was dropped back into reality. "Goodbye, Ichijou."

I sat there behind the wall and cried my eyes out. By the time I had calmed down, he had already left. In just two short days, he shook the resolve I thought I had built up over the last decade. If these were my true feelings, then have I been lying to myself this entire time? Even if that were true, what could the two of us start now? I had answers for none of these questions and now I had to get ready to face him at work again every single day. The remaining Christmas break flew by quickly and on the first day back to work, Motoi's desk was empty.

* * *

 **Oh Fireworkz: Yeah cheating is definitively wrong, but I just wanted to give you guys a little insight into why Shu acts the way he does, and perhaps even justify his behavior a little. Anyhow, thank you for taking the time to leave a review, I honestly appreciate it very much! I know these chapters continue to be sad but hopefully that'll make the payoff all the sweeter ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – Divorce**

" _Are you happy now?"_

I think that was the first time I've ever seen him worried. What would he have done if I had said no? Would he suddenly decide to become a good husband? I smile to myself as I wrapped the leftover breakfast. For better or for worse, I guess he has been doing what he thought was best for me this entire time. If I hadn't met someone else, I'm sure he would have ended up trying his best.

As I get ready to leave, I hear him whispering in his sleep, "Stay…Please…" I knew those words weren't for me. When I first began living with him, he would have these dreams from time to time. At first, I was angry that he couldn't let go of his past feelings, but now I feel a little sorry for him. I truly wished that things could have worked out for him, that he too may end up with the person he loved.

I met up with Shu at the aquarium, the place we first met. At that time, I was still struggling to cope with the fact that Motoi didn't love me and I was bawling my eyes out. That's when he approached me and comforted me. We seemed to have been brought together by fate, two miserably married people. I never imagined myself as a woman who would have an affair, but I didn't even think twice the first time Shu asked me to spend the night with him. It didn't take long for me to get caught, I guess I wasn't being subtle enough. But to my surprise, Motoi didn't even bat an eyelash. He simply asked me if I wanted a divorce and when I told him that Shu was also married, he simply acknowledged it and never mentioned it again.

It was convenient for the moment, but in the long run, we're still faced with the same problem. What can become of this relationship if we both just remain married to our partner? I know that Shu's wife doesn't know about us and I can see that it eats away at him every time we're together. Quite frankly, it eats away at me too.

"I think we should take a break."

"What? Why?" Shu asked in a worried tone.

"Shu…we can't keep doing this. It's unfair to your wife and it's unfair to my husband. Motoi was an exception but eventually, your wife will find out too. Even if we can hide this forever, how long do you think we can stay happy at the expense of other people?"

"What would you have me do then?"

"You say you love me, right?"

"More than anyone else in this world."

"Then let's do this cleanly, let's get married and let our partners find someone they deserve."

Shu seemed torn but that was to be expected. "Don't worry, you don't have to give me an answer now. Let me know when you've made a decision," I said as I gave him a final peck on his cheek and smiled. "Take your time and think about it. If you decide that you don't want to do this then stay with your wife and make her happy."

I felt like I had done the right thing. Despite having wronged this woman for so long, I felt like I owed her at least this much. I've been the happiest I've ever been these last few years with Shu and that's why I want to make this happiness something to be proud of, not something shameful.

As I opened the door to my home, I was greeted by Motoi as he carried something into the living room. "Hey," he said as he put down what he was holding. It was a packed box and on the floor beside it were similar boxes along with a suitcase.

"What is all this?" I asked.

"I…" He looked at me as he tried to find the right words, "I want to start over."

At first, I was a little confused, but then I realized what he was trying to say. "You want to get a divorce."

"Yeah," he said as he sighed and sat down on one of the boxes. "I think we can both agree that at this point things can't work out between us. But it's not too late for us to find someone new. I've lived a life of regret for the last ten years and I don't want me or you to live out our next forty resenting the fact that we're married. I'm sure you also don't want to keep having an affair for the rest of your life, eventually, you'll want to settle down. Whether that's with that person or someone else, you won't be able to if we're still tied together."

I pause for a moment as I sat down on a box across from him and smiled. "I understand. This has been long overdue anyway." Even though we were getting divorced, neither of us were sad about it. It was freeing, for both of us. A life determined by our own free will, not decided for us and not assigned to us. "What about your job at the government?"

"I don't really feel like working there anymore. Now that I look back, I must be quite the masochist. Considering the fact that it was the yukari program that screwed me up so bad and I ended up working to support and encourage it among teenagers now."

"What are you going to do then?"

"I don't know. Find a job in another industry or maybe even go back to school."

"You're quite brave doing this in your late twenties, you know? What if you end up becoming a NEET? I don't really want that on my conscience."

"Hey, hey, I'll have you know that, besides my self-destructive lifestyle, I'm actually quite competent and resourceful."

"Mhmm, sure you are," I say sarcastically and perhaps for the first time in our relationship, we shared a laugh together.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Decision**

It was so sudden. One second he was here and the next he's gone without a single trace. All she could do was continue to stare at his empty desk as if the things would just reappear as they were before the Christmas break. The idea of him not being here anymore didn't fully register even when they brought the new recruit in front of her to introduce him as her new partner.

"Where's Motoi?" she had asked, ignoring the rookie completely.

"Oh, I thought he would have at least told you since you were his partner and all. He resigned," said her boss as he laughed. "I was honestly shocked when he called me over the Christmas break and told me that he wanted to pursue another career. Crazy, isn't it? He's almost thirty years old and is looking to start over."

"B-But I thought there were proper procedures and notice had to be given," said Ichijou quickly as she felt a strange sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Yeah, normally that would be the case, but he did something really insane and got divorced from his yukari match. Can't have someone like that working in the yukari division, can we? But enough of that, as I was saying, this is your new par…"

The words of her boss became indistinguishable as the only thing she could hear was the ringing in her ears. Divorced? Why? Sure he wasn't on good terms with his wife but getting divorced from your yukari match is such a detriment to your social status. Not just in jobs in the government but everywhere. What changed so suddenly?

"Goodbye, Ichijou."

Is that what that was about? Could he not stand working at the same place as her anymore? But then simply switching departments or quitting would have been good enough. Why do something so drastic?

"Ichijou! Ichijou!" The voice of her boss finally snapped her out of her thoughts. "Have you been listening to what I've been saying?"

She couldn't think properly right now. All break long she prepared herself for how she would face him after what happened that day at his old house, but she was not prepared for this. "I'm sorry sir, I'm not feeling well right now. I'm going to take a sick day," she said as she walked past her boss without even waiting for his approval.

She pulled out her phone and scrolled down to Motoi's contacts as fast as she could. She was planning to call him and find out exactly what the hell he was thinking. But as soon as she got outside, the cold fresh air hit her and reminded her of reality. Wasn't this the best possible outcome? Now she wouldn't have to awkwardly pretend like she didn't hear his confession. They can now both move on with their own lives, without a constant daily reminder of what could have been.

' _That's right…it's time I move on from this stupid high school romance. In the end, even Motoi has done it,_ ' she thought as she pulled out the little bear keychain and unhooked her keys from it. One by one, as the keys passed through the metal rings, their memories together flashed through her mind. As she took off the last key, she let go of the last memory they had together as a couple and threw it into the trash. ' _All love is lies. All love is lies. All love is lies._ '

* * *

The next five months passed by uneventfully as the season of snow turned into the season of rain. The new recruit was hardworking and picked up the ropes pretty quickly. Work was finished quickly and efficiently, at least more so than with her old partner. She never ended up reaching out to him, after all, if he decided not to tell her then that was his problem. She assumed he was once again just running away and not willing to take the hard road of fixing his relationship with his yukari partner. As time passed by, Motoi began to fade into the back of her consciousness and even though her relationship with Shu hadn't changed all that much, she began to feel more confident about the idea of having a child with him.

As she prepared the meal for one of the rare occasions of Shu coming home for dinner, she decided tonight would be the night she plucked up her resolve to tell him she was ready. As she psyched herself up, the man of the hour came in through the front door. "Welcome home, dear!" she said cheerfully. "How was your day?"

"It was okay, less busy than usual." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I need to tell you something."

"Oh perfect, there was something I wanted to tell you as well," said Ichijou excitedly. 'Maybe he's come around to the idea as well.'

As she prepared to set down all the food, Shu reached out and grabbed her hand. "The food can wait."

"Are you sure? It's not going to be as good when it's cold."

"Ichijou."

"It's really yummy, I promise!"

"I want a divorce."

Time seemed to have stopped as she looked at him in silence. "What did you say?" she asked in a cold deadpan voice, dropping her previously cheerful façade.

"I'm sorry but I don't think things will ever work out between us. We don't love each other an-"

Before he could finish, a splash of cold water hit his face. "You think I'm doing 'this' because of love? I'm doing this because we are assigned to each other and that's what normal people do so that their children don't have to ever feel like they are a failed product."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore…I've been seeing someone else and I love her."

The revelation instantly ignited a wave of burning anger within her. "You think I haven't noticed you always sneaking out on the weekend and not coming back until late at night?! I've been letting you screw around because I couldn't care less about you! I've sacrificed so much for this and I'm not going to let you ruin it because of some whore you've been sleeping with! You say you love her?! Then what about the person I-"

That's when her whole world crashed down around her. Not because of the fact that her husband was having an affair. She had figured that out a long time ago but chose to ignore the blatant tells. She had been the one running away from things. She was the one that couldn't move on. All love is lies. That was the lie that she has been telling herself to keep pretending in this relationship.

But now, it was truly too late. She had a chance when she got the notice, she had a chance after their first meeting, their second meeting, their wedding day, when Motoi carried her to the hospital, when they were there at his old house. But now when she finally faced the truth, he was gone. She always blamed him for not being brave enough on that day to take a leap of faith, but he only had one opportunity. She's had countless opportunities to take that same leap and she shied away from it, all for a delusion.

Before she could think, she ran out into the rain without even so much as a coat. She needed to get away from that house of lies. She finally stopped when her lungs cried out for air. By then, she was soaked to the bone and the cold wind had her shivering. Yet neither the pain nor the cold could ease the regret she was feeling in her heart.

' _Thinking back, all their memories together were in the rain._ ' That's when she could no longer stop herself from crying. All these years of repressed emotions came bubbling up and she felt like her tears would never stop falling.

But suddenly, the rain above her stopped and when she heard the voice behind her, she turned as slowly as possible, all the while praying to every god she knew that her mind wasn't playing a trick on her. "You look like you've been left behind on a school trip or something."

She nearly tackled him to the ground when she saw the familiar bleach purple hair. Motoi was completely thrown off by what was happening but that was when he heard through her sobs, "Motoi…I was so lost…and all by myself…"

Although he wasn't completely sure of the circumstances, he carefully brought his hand up to softly caress her head. "It's okay, I'm here now."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – The Scent of Love**

"That will be all for today's class. Make sure you all complete the assigned homework, especially you Hinata!"

"Eh! Yajima-sensei you can't single me out like that!" complained the young boy as the rest of the class shared a light-hearted laugh.

"You can't let her bully you like that Hinata or else she'll never stop," said Motoi as he entered the classroom.

"Ah, there are two Yajima-sensei now!"

"Motoi…what are you doing in my class right now? Don't you have your own to run?" said Ichijou as she used the same scolding tone she used with her students.

"I finished and dismissed them early."

"What? Lucky! I wish I had the other Yajima-sensei!" said Hinata.

"Silence or I'll make next week's test twice as hard for you!"

"Scary!" said one of the students.

"Blackmail!" commented another.

"See what you've done, you've turned my students against me," said Ichijou to Motoi as she playfully smacked him on the chest.

"I couldn't help it, I missed you and wanted to see you so badly."

"Ugh, too bright," said the boys as some of them gagged at how cheesy it was while the girls swooned at how romantic it was.

"Alright, alright, enough of this show. I've dismissed you guys, didn't I? Hurry on home before it gets late."

The students packed their bags and filtered out of the classroom after saying their goodbyes. Hinata was the last one to finish packing and when the second last student walked out, a head poked in from the classroom door. "Hinata, are you almost done?"

"Just one sec, Emi!"

"What are you doing making the little lady wait?"

"Yajima-sensei please stop teasing me!" said Hinata as he let out a sigh.

Ichijou smiled as she ruffled the young boy's hair, "Only because you're my favorite." The boy smiled brightly and said his goodbye to both teachers.

"I thought I was your favorite," said Motoi once the boy left.

"Jealous?"

"Fuming."

"Can I make it better?" she asked innocently as she took a step towards him.

"W-Well…right now is a bit…"

"Geez, someone's head is in the gutter," said Ichijou as she tipped her toes and gave him a peck on the lips. "Better?"

"Yeah," said Motoi as he felt his cheek grow a little hotter and slightly unsatisfied.

"Alright, then we're good to go on our date then?"

"Whenever you are."

The two of them made their way to the park and snagged a nice spot atop a small hill for their picnic. "Oh before I forget," said Motoi as he reached into his pocket, "I got this for you." He pulled out a small bear keychain that looked similar to the one he gave her all those years ago.

"Pfft, what is that?"

"The keychain I gave you back then; you threw it away, but you told me you liked it and wanted another one."

"It doesn't even look the same, Motoi."

"What?" he brought the little bear up to his face for a closer examination. "It looks the same to me."

"The one you gave me was brown, this one's blue. Come to think of it, you really got me an ugly ass brown bear keychain for my birthday back then?"

"I'll have you know that I spent a long time picking it after a ton of counseling from the store rep."

"Uh-huh."

"Fine, I guess I'll just be keeping this then," said Motoi as he went to put the pink bear keychain back into his pocket.

"Hey, hey, hey, I never said I didn't want it," said Ichijou as she crawled over his lap to reach for it. After wrestling for it, she managed to pry it from his fingers and held it over her as she laid her head on his lap.

"Are you sure this is good enough? We're a lot better off than we were when we started, I could have gotten you something a little more expensive," said Motoi as he looked down at her while caressing her head.

"What are you talking about? I like it, I really do," said Ichijou as she looked up at him with a serious expression. "Plus, being a little more frugal is always good for when we need the money for more important things."

"It's been a rough few years, huh? How was it, trading your diamond ring for a titanium one?"

"Do you want my honest answer?"

"Yes."

"Not great," said Ichijou as they both shared a good laugh. "But I've never been happier in my entire life." She cupped his face and he leaned into the soft touch before taking her hand and kissing it.

By the time they noticed the day dimming, the rain clouds had already settled in. As they prepared to go back home, a light shower came down from the sky and the couples around them opened their umbrellas. The people around them looked at them skeptically as the only two adults casually strolling through the park in the rain.

Ichijou looked at the couples around them and smiled to herself. She had always believed that the price of being with the person you loved was too heavy to pay. Everyone around you would look perfect and it would be like looking at greener pastures. But now, even after starting over from scratch, she was happy she was standing here with Motoi. Sticking out like a sore thumb among all these seemingly happy couples, she would never trade it for anything else.

Motoi turned and saw her serene smile, looking like an absolute goddess. He stood there awe-struck as his wife turned to him with a questioning smirk. "You're beautiful."

She blushed slightly at how blunt his complement was. "Oh, I have a gift for you as well," she said hesitantly, "but I'm not sure if you would like it or not."

"Let's see it."

"Well…I can't show it to you right now."

"Oh…can you show it to me at home then?"

She rolled her eyes a little at the suggestive comment, "No, I can't show you at home either, but I have it on me right now."

"What is this, a riddle?" His eyes grew wide when she reached out and placed his hand on her stomach without saying another word. There were so many emotions that were going through him at that moment that he could do nothing but look to her for confirmation. When she gave that little nod, he wrapped his arms around her and brought her in for a tight hug. He then cupped her cheek and kissed her with as much passion as when they are making love. Her lips melted into his and he heard the slightest of moan come from within her. As he breathed in her delicious scent he realized that it wasn't the smell of rain that he enjoyed but the scent of love they shared.

When the two of them finally separated from their kiss, Ichijou reached out and tugged on his sleeve. "I want to go home," she said with a glazed look in her eyes that he knew all too well. All their memories really were made in the rain.


End file.
